1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard and a notebook type computer, specifically to a keyboard and a notebook type computer capable of being miniaturized while maintaining a favorable key-in operability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computers have gradually been miniaturized to realize, at present, a portable notebook type computer as shown in FIG. 5. This notebook type computer includes a main body 2 having a keyboard 1, a display 3 and a hinge section 4 for coupling the display 3 with the main body 2, wherein the display 3 constitutes an openable/closable cover for the main body. The keyboard 1 has a plurality of keys having keytops 5 arranged in transverse lines and vertical rows in a matrix manner with a small gap between every two adjacent keytops, wherein information input from the keyboard 1 is processed by a CPU provided in the interior of the main body. The input information is displayed on the display 3.
The keyboard of the notebook computer described above is small in size because of the miniaturization of the computer itself. In addition, a marketed notebook type computer Libretto CTA 20 (provided from TOSHIBA) realizes the miniaturization of keyboard by using a keytop having longer transverse edges. In this regard, the outer periphery of this keytop is chamfered as shown in FIG. 6 so that an upper surface (operating surface) 6 of the keytop 5 has a square shape of about 8 mm per side.
According to the conventional notebook type personal computer described above, there are problems in that the key-in operation becomes inconvenient and an erroneous key touch may occur when the keyboard is operated by touch because the operating surface 6 of the keytop 5 is too small.
In view of such problems in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard and a notebook type computer smaller in size without sacrificing the key-in operability.